"Five years in Bogotá: A Saint Petersburg native helps expats adapt to life in Colombia — Where personal connections, long small talks, and community matter deeply" - "New expats" series
| Бумага

In this interview "Five Years in Bogotá: A Saint Petersburg Native Helps Expats Adapt to Life in Colombia — Where Personal Connections, Long Small Talks, and Community Matter Deeply" with Бумага, an independent Russian-language media outlet originally known for publishing stories about life in Saint Petersburg and the people connected to the city, I share my experience of building a life abroad and adapting to life in Bogotá, Colombia. The article was published as part of a series focused on people from Saint Petersburg who left Russia and are now navigating new cultural experiences, migration, and life in different countries.  

The article tells the story of my journey from Vladivostok to Saint Petersburg, and later across Bahrain, India, Nicaragua, and Colombia. I reflect on how my early interest in travel and exploring “how life can be different” eventually turned into a long international path, both personally and professionally.

A major focus of the interview is my life in Bogotá and what Colombia has taught me about culture, relationships, communication, and adaptation. I talk about why life in Colombia felt easier after Nicaragua, how Bogotá became a city full of opportunities and activities, and why relationship-building is such an important part of navigating life and work in Latin America.

The article also explores my work as an expat coach, HR and Organizational Development consultant, and how I support people who are adapting to a new country. I explain that relocation is not only about visas, documents, language, bureaucracy, housing, or building a new social circle. At a deeper level, expat adaptation often becomes a question of identity: who am I in this new culture, in this new context, with these people, and how do I adapt without feeling like I am losing myself?

One of the strongest cultural themes in the article is the difference between Russian and Latin American communication styles. I share how, in Colombia, relationships often come before tasks. A short, direct request that may feel respectful and efficient in a Russian context can feel cold or rude in Latin America. In Colombia, small talk, personal connection, and relationship-building are often not “extra,” but part of how trust and cooperation happen.

The interview also touches on the subtle social codes people need to understand when living in Colombia, from how people introduce themselves to why mentioning the neighborhood where you live can give others social context. These small details may seem minor from the outside, but they shape how people communicate, build trust, and understand each other in daily life.

I also speak about launching Dis_Connected Events in Bogotá, a community project created to bring local expats together through events, activities, and intentional spaces for connection. This theme matters deeply to me because one of the biggest challenges of living abroad is not only adapting to the culture, but also building a support system and finding people who can help you feel less alone in the process.

Main themes explored in the article:

• Expat adaptation in Colombia

• Life in Bogotá as a foreigner

• Moving from Russia to Latin America

• Cultural differences between Russia and Colombia

• Cross-cultural communication

• Relationship-building in Latin America

• Small talk, trust, and social connection

• Visas, bureaucracy, language, and practical adaptation

• Identity shifts while living abroad

• Building community as an expat

• Organizational Development, HR, and expat coaching

• How to adapt to a new country without losing yourself

The article also includes my reflections on what I would bring from Bogotá to Saint Petersburg: the climate, but also the Colombian focus on relationships, social connection, and making sure people do not feel alone during important moments or holidays.

For me, this feature is not only about moving to Colombia. It is about the deeper emotional and cultural work that happens when you build a life across countries, languages, and social systems.

Living abroad is not just about visas, documents, housing, language, or finding your way around a new city. It is also about identity, belonging, confidence, relationships, and learning how to be yourself in a completely different cultural context.

That is the part of expat life I am especially interested in, both personally and professionally.

Today, I support expats and internationally mobile professionals navigating relocation, cultural adaptation, identity shifts, uncertainty, and the emotional complexity of starting over abroad.

My work combines lived international experience, cross-cultural awareness, coaching, and Leadership Development expertise to help clients adapt with more clarity, less drama, and a stronger sense of self.

I currently work with clients from more than 35 countries in English, Spanish, and Russian.

Learn more about cross-cultural communication, building career abroad, and expat experience in my blogs:

• Why Living Abroad Feels So Hard (Even When Everything Is “Fine”)

• The Hidden Challenges of Living Abroad: Expat Identity, Culture, and Adaptation

• Moving Abroad For Work? 5 Cross-Cultural Communication Mistakes to Avoid